I came to the United States four years ago in September 2014, after graduating high school. I was finally living my dream of studying in the US. If all goes according to plan, I hope to get the chance to stay in the US and do public relations work for a company. Although I am here now, I had to work through a long process of applying to come to the US, and the process is still not over.

My first Visa allowed me to study as a student for four years and came with a fee that had to be paid off. I realize my level of good fortune and luck in having the ability to pay the necessary fees to remain in the country as a legal immigrant. Now that I have finished college, I'm on the path to obtaining a work Visa. Essentially, this will extend my student Visa to allow me to work for one year. If I receive the extension, I will have to reapply for some type of work Visa to allow me to continue living in the country. If, at any point down the line I don't receive permission to stay, I'll have to leave.

Being a legal immigrant takes work, but it's possible.

Yes, there are steps to getting into any country, but they are there for a reason.

Abiding by the rules and laws governing a land is the only way to make legal entry and hope to remain in the country. However, the immigration issue has taken multiple issues and muddled them together. I've broken them down into their respective parts to understand how each is separate but feeds into the overall issue facing immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) officers.

These are the issues which are becoming intertwined with one another. The media doesn't do an adequate job of separating out the issues and providing a clear context. I do not agree with the no-tolerance policy. It doesn't excuse the inhumane treatment of children, regardless of whether or not they are with or without their families, proves a need to rethink the issue and the solution. We cannot treat everyone as a criminal, but we can't treat everyone with open arms when time and time again, many have proven to undermine the system. It's important the issue is taken care of with humanity, with a change to the policies through pressure and legislation, and an end to the inhumane treatment of human beings.